CHAP. X.

INCES T.

IN

order to preserve chastity in families, and between perfons of different fexes brought up and living together in a state of unreserved intimacy, it is neceffary by every method poffible to inculcate an abhorrence of inceftuous conjunctions; which abhorrence can only be upheld by the abfolute reprobation of all commerce of the fexes between near relations. Upon this principle, the marriage as well as other cohabitation of brothers and fifters, of lineal kindred, and of all who ufually live in the fame family, may be faid to be forbidden by the law

of nature.

Reftrictions which extend to remoter degrees of kindred than what this reafon makes it neceffary to prohibit from intermarriage, are founded in the authority of the pofitive law which ordains

ordains them, and can only be juftified by their tendency to diffuse wealth, to connect families, or to promote fome political advantage.

*

The Levitical law, which is received in this country, and from which the rule of the Roman law differs very little, prohibits marriage between relations within three degrees of kindred; computing the generations not from but through the common ancestor, and accounting affinity the fame as confanguinity. The iffue, however, of fuch marriages are not baftardized, unless the parents be divorced during their lifetime.

The Egyptians are faid to have allowed of the marriage of brothers and fifters. Amongst the Athenians a very fingular regulation prevailed; brothers and fifters of the half blood, if related by the father's fide, might marry; if by the mother's fide, they were prohibited from marrying. The fame cuftom also probably obtained in Chaldea fo early as the age

* The Roman law continued the prohibition to the defcendants of brothers and fifters without limits. In the Levitical and English law, there is nothing to hinder a man from marrying his great niece.

in which Abraham left it; for he and Sarah his wife ftood in this. relation to each other. "And yet, indeed, fhe is my fifter, she is the daughter of my father, but not of my mo"ther, and she became my wife." Gen. xx. 12.

CHAP.

CHA P. VI.

POLYGA M Y.

*

HE equality in the number of males

THE

and females born into the world intimate the intention of God, that one woman fhould be affigned to one man; for if to one man be allowed an exclufive right to five or more women, four or more men must be deprived of the exclufive poffeffion of any which could never be the order intended.

It seems alfo a fignificant indication of the divine will, that he at firft created only one woman to one man. Had God intended polygamy for the fpecies, it is probable he would have begun with it; efpecially as, by giving to Adam more wives than one, the multiplication

* This equality is not exact. The number of male infants exceeds that of females in the proportion of nineteen to eighteen, or thereabouts; which excefs provides for the greater confumption of males by war, feafaring and other dangerous or unhealthy occupations.

of

of the human race would have proceeded with a quicker progress.

Polygamy not only violates the constitution of nature, and the apparent design of the Deity, but produces to the parties themselves, and to the public, the following bad effects; contefts and jealoufies amongst the wives of the fame hufband; diftracted affections, or the lofs of all affection in the hufband himfelf; a voluptuoufnefs in the rich which diffolves the vigour of their intellectual as well as active faculties, producing that indolence and imbecility both of mind and body, which have long characterized the nations of the Eaft; the abafement of one half of the human fpecies, who, in countries where polygamy obtains, are degraded into mere inftruments of phyfical pleafure to the other half; neglect of children; and the manifold, and fometimes unnatural mifchiefs, which arife from a fcarcity of women. To compenfate for thefe evils, polygamy does not offer a single advantage. In the article of population, which it has been thought to promote, the community gain nothing for the queftion is not, whether one

*

man

*Nothing, I mean, compared with a state in which marriage is nearly univerfal. Where marriages are less general, and